Chicago-headquartered Kirkland & Ellis, renowned for its reputation on hiring lateral partners at top dollar, has lost corporate partner Graham White to Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson where he will head the London office and lead the firm’s European private equity practice.
White was Kirkland’s de facto head in the City as the firm does not maintain an official London managing partner title. He unofficially took the role on in 2012 after joining the firm in 2006 from Magic Circle firm Linklaters where he had been a partner since 2001. Before this, White was a partner at legacy firm SJ Berwin from 1991.
At Kirkland, White oversaw European operations and served as a member of the firm’s 15-member management committee and, before that, he helped grow Linklaters’ private equity practice.
Fried Frank chairman, David Greenwald, said: ‘He [White] is a proven leader with years of experience handling large and complex buyout transactions for some of the world’s most sophisticated organizations. Graham will further strengthen our team and better position us for continued growth.’
White added: ‘I am looking forward to helping Fried Frank grow its London office, expand the private equity practice in Europe and build on the corporate department’s legacy of great client service. We share a comprehensive understanding of the business climate in which our clients operate and an unwavering commitment to providing insightful legal advice, which creates a great foundation for working together.’
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
